University of Southern California
La Palma, California, United States
Mukund Iyer is a 5th year PhD Candidate at the University of Southern California studying cancer biology and genomics. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, and received his undergraduate degree from Rice University in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. During his time there, he received a National Science Foundation Scholarship and worked in a structural genomics lab and pancreatic cancer research lab. During his summers, he interned for pharmaceutical giants AbbVie and Takeda. After completing his undergraduate degree, he transitioned to a PhD program at USC studying cancer biology and genomics. He works in the laboratory of Dr. Josh Neman, whose laboratory studies the dynamic effects of the neuronal microenvironment on metastatic cancer. Mukund's project specifically examines the role of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in aiding breast cancer growth and colonization in the brain environment. Through his work, Mukund hopes to elucidate new mechanisms of MDSC function that may help direct future therapeutic strategies for brain metastases. He hopes after graduating to transition into the pharmaceutical industry.
